A list of non-crop host plants supporting spotted wing Drosophila in North America is now available online. The guide to non-crop host plants used by spotted wing Drosophila (SWD) has just been published by Oregon State University and compiles information from collections made in Michigan, New York, Florida, California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. The article titled “Noncrop Host Plants of Spotted Wing Drosophila in North America” is a free PDF available on the Michigan State University spotted wing Drosophila factsheet website.
Collections of fruit in wild and agricultural habitats in North America have been analyzed for the presence of SWD larvae and the ability to rear adult SWD from the collected fruit. Researchers, including Greg Loeb, Professor, Department of Entomology, Cornell University, collected fruit and then held it to see what insects emerged. This provided definitive information on whether SWD does use a specific plant's fruit for its habitat.
The plant list can be used by growers and others to consider which areas near crop plantings may pose the greatest risk as a habitat reservoir for SWD. There is little information on the effectiveness of removing these host plants from a landscape, but high densities of these suitable hosts could be expected to increase pressure from SWD, particularly on crop varieties fruiting from late summer to fall.
Dr. Loeb's work is funded in part by the New York State Berry Growers Association. Become a NYSBGA member today!